fitness123The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said a strong believer was better than a weak believer.[1]  He was talking in terms of faith and character but also indicating that physical strength i.e. optimum health and fitness were desirable, providing God gave us the ways and means of attaining such strength.  Islam’s holistic approach to life and thus health offers us the ability to remain strong and healthy.  If God decrees that illness or injury are to be part of  our lives then Islam provides us  with the ways and means of accepting  and even being grateful for the tests and trials that envelope us. 

This article, the final in a four part series on Islam’s holistic approach to health, will examine what Islam, Prophet Muhammad, and the scholars of Islam have mentioned about fitness and exercise.  In a separate series of articles, we will look at how Islam suggests we behave when struck by illness or injury.

Honey123Islam is a code of life.  Muslims do not practice only during the weekends or festive seasons; rather religion is an ongoing part of daily life.  Islam is organised in a spiritual and moral way, taking into account humankind’s innate needs and desires.  The tenets of Islam are derived from the Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad, known as the Sunnah,  These two sources of revelation are a guide, or a manual for life.

Although, it may, at first, seem like a rather strange analogy; let us compare Islam’s life instructions with the manual that comes with a computer.  Imagine buying a new laptop without ever having seen any of the technological advances of the last several decades.  Would you know where the on/off button was?  If you managed to turn the computer on would you know how to look after it, do a system restore, run an anti-virus scan, or generally maintain it? Without a manual, the computer would be not much more than a useless piece of technology.

55bd5434094eb280ce5892592a1d8442Islam takes a holistic approach to health.  Just as religious life is inseparable from secular life, physical, emotional and spiritual health cannot be separated; they are three parts that make a completely healthy person.  When one part is injured or unhealthy, the other parts suffer.  If a person is physically ill or injured it may be difficult to concentrate on anything but the pain.  If a person is emotionally unwell, he or she may not be able to take care of him or herself properly or find their minds distracted from the realities of life.

When speaking to his followers Prophet Muhammad spoke of the strong believer being better than a weak believer, in the eyes of God.[1]  The word strong here can mean strength in faith or in character, but it can equally mean health.  Our bodies are a trust from God and we are accountable for how we look after our health.  Although physical and emotional health is important, spiritual health needs to be the first priority in our lives.  If a person is in spiritual difficulty then life can begin to unravel and problems may occur in all areas.

health-time-hadith-rahatbinIslam-900Islam comes from the root word “sa-la-ma”, as do the words Muslim (one who follows the message of Islam) and “salaam” (peace).  The root word “Sa - la – ma”  denotes peace, security, safety as it does submission and surrender to Almighty God.  This security is inherent in the submission to the One God.  When a person submits to the will of God he will experience an innate sense of security and peacefulness.  He must also understand   that God is the Creator of all that exists or will come to exist, and has power over all things.  With this surrender and understanding comes peace – real, easily attainable, and everlasting peace.

From the beginning of time, God has revealed Himself through Prophets and Messengers, who have come with one message.  Worship God, without partners, without offspring and without intermediaries.

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